Inhibitory control refers to the individual’s ability to inhibit (impulsive) responses to stimuli, and is seen as a key component of cognitive control and emotion regulation. Impaired inhibitory functioning has been related to various behaviors requiring impulse suppression such as food consumption, smoking urges or alcohol-seeking behavior, but also to mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Moreover, a flourishing number of studies investigate whether inhibitory processes can be rehabilitated in order to improve an individual’s ability to overrule automatic reactions and adaptively regulate behaviour with long-term goals.

Given its pivotal role in psychopathology, inhibition is a key target for psychotherapy and thus a central research topic in EPP. For this two-day symposium, we will invite national and international expert speakers to discuss both the theoretical and applied implications of dysfunctional inhibition in the etiology and maintenance of a wide variety of psychopathological problems (e.g., anxiety, depression, substance use, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.). In addition, speakers will also focus on (the translation of experimental studies to) therapeutic interventions that aim at improving inhibitory dysfunctions. Moreover, students will be asked to work on a practical assignment in order to stimulate new research ideas as well as good scientific practice.

PROGRAM

Thursday
Feb 15th

10.00 – 10.30 Welcome + Coffee/Tea
10.30 – 12.00 Michael Anderson (General introduction to inhibition
+ Discussion with PhD-students)
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch
13.00 – 14.00 Practical assignment: students choose research question
+ brainstorm session

14.00 – 15.00 Bram Vervliet (Inhibition & fear: A fundamental approach)
15.00 – 15.15 Short break -Coffee & Tea
15.15 – 16.15 Suzanne van Veen (Inhibition & fear: A practical approach)
16.15 – 17.30 PhD presentation – Suzanne van Veen (UU), Thomas Fuller (UM) en Stefanie Meeuwis (LEI)
17.30 – 19.00  Drinks
19.00 – late Dinner

Friday
Feb 16th

09.00 – 10.00  Ernst Koster (Inhibition & depression: A fundamental and practical approach)
10.00 – 11.00  Matt Field (Inhibition & addiction: A fundamental approach)
11.00 – 11.15 Short break -Coffee & Tea
11.15 – 12.15 Reinout Wiers (Inhibition & addiction: A practical approach)
12.15 – 13.15 Lunch
13.15 – 13.45 PhD presentation Ilse Verveer (EUR)

13.45 – 14.30 Practical assignment: write hypotheses and experimental design on poster
14.30 – 15.30 Pitching the practical assignment with group discussion